Visiting
by Clement Rage
Summary: The Commissioner of the WRO pays an unscheduled visit to Rufus Shinra.  Sequel to Visitor


**Visit**

The New Shinra building in Edge lacked the glamour of its predecessor, but something menacing still radiated from the dull grey structure. As a former architect, he could appreciate such things. Commissioner Reeve Tuesti's coattail trailed across the entrance, WRO Guards standing behind. They weren't ornamental, not any more. Those who'd survived Deepground had learned fast.

The receptionist glanced up at him.

"Can I help you, sir?"

"I'd like to see the President."

"...I'm afraid he doesn't take unscheduled appointments. What was it you wanted?"

"I wanted to talk numbers. Lucky 7, Unlucky 13, that kind of thing. I think you'll find he'll see me." 13 was the number of Corel's Mako Reactor. The Commissioner amused himself imagining the reaction upstairs. At best, possibly a blink.

Minutes passed. The eight soldiers he'd brought with him grew restive. Then, a phonecall to the front desk.

"He'll see you. Alone."

"Of course."

The Commissioner stepped into the elevator, leaning against one wall, examining his fingernails in the mirror. And laughed aloud when the room stopped moving and the lights cut. Eventually, it continued on its way. Rufus was intelligent enough to know that people would notice the building the Commissioner was last seen entering. This was just another game.

Rude tried to take his shotgun at the office door, but didn't dare to manhandle one of the most influential men on the planet. It wasn't his safety Reeve feared for, but he would not have this meeting on someone else's terms.

Rufus Shinra was looking much healthier these days. He'd abandoned the eyepatch and cape, and would probably decide the wheelchair was unnecessary within the next year or so, depending on the state of public opinion.

When Reeve took his seat. Tseng moved to stand behind him. Classic Shinra move, that. Metal would be glinting in his sleeves.

Nothing happened for some time.

Then:

"I hope I haven't upset your schedule unduly?"

"I'll manage. What are you doing here, Reeve?"

The Commissioner reached into his coat, withdrawing a page which he held up to be viewed.

"This is an arrest warrant made out in the name of Rufus Shinra, for withholding information regarding the existence of a Shinra project known as Deepground." Tseng twitched. "It's signed, all I have to do is send it to the appropriate department...unless you can give me a reason to do otherwise. I told you once not to play games with me...sir."

"I can't be held responsible for the projects my father undertook."

"Of course not. But failing to make us aware of it before that research team was sent in..."

"I can't make you aware of something if I don't know it. When I succeeded my father, Shinra was in a time of crisis, I did not have the time to apprise myself of my father's every project."

"Really? No one ever mentioned that you had thirty thousand fully equipped soldiers in the basement? Heidegger never thought that knowledge might be useful to you? In a time where Shinra's existing resources were stretched?"

"You know why. With that army, I wouldn't need him anymore, he didn't trust me not to use them to eliminate my opposition."

"And why would he not trust you? Had you given him reason to believe you would betray the other executives? You were the Vice President for years, how could you not have any idea about such a huge project? Surely your father would take steps so they wouldn't be used against you when you succeeded him." There was a reason, of course, he hadn't been trusted, but he couldn't admit to it in a public trial without shredding his own credibility. Completely aside from which, Deepground had been begun well before Rufus had been detected betraying his father.

"This is Heidegger."

"Yes. And Heidegger had his own army, which he would be willing to use. If you used the DGs to seize power, the struggle would be bloody, brutal, and indecisive. Wheareas if you used the DGs against AVALANCHES, they'd be depleted."

"Commissioner, you're an architect, not a general."

"Unfortunately for both of us, that description is out of date." Rufus blinked. In ten years of Shinra boardroom meetings, he'd never seen Reeve Tuesti actually driven to anger.

"Why are you here, Reeve? You didn't come here just to show me that warrant."

"I'm curious...are there any _other_ projects I should know about? _Before_ they try to destroy the world?"

"...Ah. I'm not aware of any−"

"Are you sure? If something does happen that you could have told me, I'm holding you responsible." The Commissioner stood. "Well, thank you for your time." He turned.

"Wait."

"Hmm?"

"Genesis...may be alive."

"Copies?"

"I don't know."

"Anyone could tell me that. It's not helpful unless you have his location. Goodbye, Mr. President."

"It would be a shame, Commissioner, if your creditors were to call in their debts after you publish that arrest order."

"It would. The WRO would be crippled. But after Deepground, we're smaller than we were, and it's common knowledge that we saved the world from Shinra's legacy. So, people like us enough that we can get by without mystery creditors. We're liquid enough to meet our debts, President. We'll survive it. And people will begin to wonder...who are these creditors, who put the world at risk for their own benefit?" Reeve paused.

"Incidentally, have you seen the paper this morning? Interesting headline. 'Reno of the Turks confirmed as cause of Sector Seven Fall'.

The President's pupils contracted, the only reaction he'd shown thus far.

"Of course, on account of my general amnesty for anything done pre-Meteorfall, The WRO can't act on it. But if someone else tries to..."

As simply as that, Reno of the Turks had become a toxic asset. Rufus was trying to restore his name in the eyes of the public, and having someone associated with the Pillarfall on his staff would potentially be disastrous, so Rufus would have to publically cut him loose. Not completely, of course, or he'd risk the rest of his elite bodyguards turning against him. He'd set up Reno in a villa somewhere with a stipend, retiring him from service. A warning shot. Reeve was definitely annoyed.

"Is there anything else, Commissioner?"

"Yes, actually. You may be aware that Shelke Rui is now on my staff? It's strange...'Count on' her, and she'll move mountains for you. And she moved a few in Midgar lately. We found a digital copy of your testimony from Tseng's tribunal. Among other things, you stated your own role in the Corel reactor bombing, and claimed that the majority of the Turks were dead. I wonder what will happen if we manage to track them down... But of course, that won't be an issue, will it?"

The door swung.

"I think...I may have pushed him too far this time..."


End file.
